Nobody cares about the fans. They all want money. They want as much as they can get, both sides. If it was Bettman or Selig or Shanny up there, it'd be the same story. But keep believing that if Bettman magically disappeared that Jeremy Jacobs and Mike Illitch would stop caring about money.

Any player that wants Bettman fired is a fool. The current lockout is based on the fact that the players want to retain a high percentage of the revenue that Bettman is largely responsible for creating. No reasonable player has any intention of going back to the "good" old days.

Edit: As evidenced by the fact that the players' whole position in these negotiations has been to keep everything exactly the way it is right now.

Any player that wants Bettman fired is a fool. The current lockout is based on the fact that the players want to retain a high percentage of the revenue that Bettman is largely responsible for creating. No reasonable player has any intention of going back to the "good" old days.

Edit: As evidenced by the fact that the players' whole position in these negotiations has been to keep everything exactly the way it is right now.

Anybody that defends Bettman is a fool. Bettman is not responsible for the growth, in fact he has hindered it. Hockey has grown in popularity in the States because more kids became exposed to it because of international success the Americans have since the Miracle on Ice, something they have never had before.Bettman is the worst thing to ever happen to the game of hockey

For the life of me, I'm trying to figure out how you get from what Zetterberg said to him thinking Bettman should be fired. I read it as him talking about Bettman's negotiating style and as long as he is in that role, he expects the same. That to me is just basic logic. Doesn't say anything about whether he thinks he's doing a good job or a bad job.

For the life of me, I'm trying to figure out how you get from what Zetterberg said to him thinking Bettman should be fired. I read it as him talking about Bettman's negotiating style and as long as he is in that role, he expects the same. That to me is just basic logic. Doesn't say anything about whether he thinks he's doing a good job or a bad job.

I guess this is the closest thing Z said to covertly suggesting Bettman should be canned:

“This is the way (Bettman) negotiates,'' Zetterberg said. “We've been through this before and if he's going to stay there we'll probably go through it again."

...The current lockout is based on the fact that the players want to retain a high percentage of the revenue that Bettman is largely responsible for creating. No reasonable player has any intention of going back to the "good" old days.

Edit: As evidenced by the fact that the players' whole position in these negotiations has been to keep everything exactly the way it is right now.

The biggest issue with the revenue sharing isn't exactly the percentage. THe issue that players have is that the definition of "hockey related revenue" changes drastically. Even if the profit was split 50/50, with the owners new definiton of HRR, the players would be taking a MUCH larger hit than the perceived 7%. Bettman and Co. have been doing a great job trying to appeal to the fans by "giving back" some percentage points from the initial offer, but the fact is still that it is from a smaller piece of the revenue pie.

"Matt Moulson... he would get more air time if he was Matt Labatt." Ken Daniels

So, best way to predict future behavior is to look at past behavior. In the last lock-out, the NHL ended up offering the players a deal in the last minute and the players rejected it, so the season was canceled and the players got an EVEN WORSE deal at the beginning of the next season.

My thought is maybe this time around, the NHL will make a similar offer in order to have a shortened season. Maybe the players will learn this time and take the offer and we can at least have some hockey this year.

Zetterberg's comments make it sound like the players are dead serious this time around. Multiple players have said they're prepared for a multiple year work stoppage. They could be bluffing, but who knows? Let's hope something gets worked out.

Formerly known as The Nephilim.

QUOTE (Amberoonie)
Babs sure hurries himself into the presser, sits down, and f*cks up a bottle of water like no one in the room has had any for days.

So, best way to predict future behavior is to look at past behavior. In the last lock-out, the NHL ended up offering the players a deal in the last minute and the players rejected it, so the season was canceled and the players got an EVEN WORSE deal at the beginning of the next season.

My thought is maybe this time around, the NHL will make a similar offer in order to have a shortened season. Maybe the players will learn this time and take the offer and we can at least have some hockey this year.

Zetterberg's comments make it sound like the players are dead serious this time around. Multiple players have said they're prepared for a multiple year work stoppage. They could be bluffing, but who knows? Let's hope something gets worked out.

Well, they went a full year last time, which is really concerning to me. I truly do hope they are bluffing, because if they are not, they are just plain stupid + getting bad advice. I understand fighting for principle and if they go so far and "win", it won't be for them, it will be for the next players (but even then, there will be different CBA so it will be a waist anyway). The amount of money they will lose from even sitting out a year will never be recouped.

Well, they went a full year last time, which is really concerning to me. I truly do hope they are bluffing, because if they are not, they are just plain stupid + getting bad advice. I understand fighting for principle and if they go so far and "win", it won't be for them, it will be for the next players (but even then, there will be different CBA so it will be a waist anyway). The amount of money they will lose from even sitting out a year will never be recouped.

You are absolutely right. The players will not recoupe their lost income even if they eventually "win".This is not as much about the money for the players, as It is about standing up to owners attempt to "unguarantee' the signed contracts.

Nobody cares about the fans. They all want money. They want as much as they can get, both sides. If it was Bettman or Selig or Shanny up there, it'd be the same story. But keep believing that if Bettman magically disappeared that Jeremy Jacobs and Mike Illitch would stop caring about money.

exactly. if either side cared about the fans, this lockout would have already been over

Any player that wants Bettman fired is a fool. The current lockout is based on the fact that the players want to retain a high percentage of the revenue that Bettman is largely responsible for creating. No reasonable player has any intention of going back to the "good" old days.

Edit: As evidenced by the fact that the players' whole position in these negotiations has been to keep everything exactly the way it is right now.

it is quite ironic how the players are fighting tooth and nail to keep a system that they lost a whole season trying to fight against 8 years ago.

No one can sit here and defend Bettman. Bettman is ruining hockey in many respects. His job is to RUN THE LEAGUE. Since he took charge of the NHL, there have been 3 lockouts, one of which lasted an ENTIRE SEASON- - and this one does not look too promising. Simply put, allowing 3 lockouts is not doing his job. He is a terrible negotiator, and is running the league into the ground. On another note, the ONLY reason he still has the job is that he has pleased all of the poor ass teams that can't afford to run their own franchises. But if the league is locked out all year, these poor ass franchises will not ever be able to recover, and I think that will spell the end of Bettman finally.

Sure they can sit here and defend him but so what? This guy is an absolute enigma to hockey and needs to be canned asap, hell even Daily could do a better job than him and yes including the golfpro!

Midget has accomplished:

=3 lockouts in two decades thats a 100 % lockout success.
=Responsible for failed franchises and not willing to admit it cause of his little man syndrome like Lupul mentioned.
= most hated man in hockey
= fullfills every stereotype about a certain type of lawyers
= destroyed the game and doesn't care about our tradition
= no special thanks to he leagues backbone
= hated by Illitch
= cost DRW fans two years of Yzerman, Fedorov Shanhan and one of the perfect human that alone is enough to hate this damn midget

Enough is enough can this greedy bastard.

The league as a whole doesn't lose money some franchises are actually making money.

Just get rid off the damn CBA and introduce a luxury tax like the MLB. I am sick of seeing the Wings handicapped because some owners want to play it poor.

When classacts like Selanne, Toews, Boyle and now our next captain are fed up you know something has gone very wrong. Also the media has jumped on the fire Bettman wagon at some point the owners wont have a choice other than finally firing this 8 million waste of a human.

When classacts like Selanne, Toews, Boyle and now our next captain are fed up you know something has gone very wrong. Also the media has jumped on the fire Bettman wagon at some point the owners wont have a choice other than finally firing this 8 million waste of a human.

"It's another disappointing but expected move from the league," Toews told the Chicago Tribune via text from Phoenix, where he is working with his personal trainer. "This seems to be our commissioner's bread and butter; it's almost like he is excited to take away hockey from the fans and the players just because he can."

"If I were to wish for anything, I should not wish for wealth and power, but for the passionate sense of the potential, for the eye which, ever young and ardent, sees the possible. Pleasure disappoints, possibility never. And what wine is so sparkling, what so fragrant, what so intoxicating, as possibility!" - Kierkegaard